Joshua 5-6 Walls Come Tumbling Down

Intro:

Reason for doing Wednesday nights

Moses has died, Joshua has taken the helm

They people revere him like they did Moses

He has led the people over the Jordan

They left two markers as a sign to God’s work

Two piles of 12 rocks, one in Gilgal and one by Joshua in the middle of the Jordan

Now they are in the plains of Jericho, sitting in the shadows of one of the greatest fortresses

We see the walls come tumbling down, but in the process we see a great example of how to deal with spiritual challenges

Before Israel goes one more foot, God wants them to get right and prepare their hearts

Read Joshua 5:1-9

I. Circumcised vs. 1-9

It’s important that we don’t put our hope in things that don’t work

It is possible that the Amorites and Canaanites were trusting in the flood waters of the Jordan to keep Israel at bay

When God Stopped the waters 20 miles north and they crossed on dry ground the hearts melted

That means there was no life left in them and they didn’t know where to turn

It would seem like the right time to strike, when fear was at it is highest

God always works in different ways

He is more interested in our hearts, than accomplishments

God tells Joshua to make flint knives

Flint knives are knives made out of slender stones that make a great cutting edge

They were used to circumcise Jewish boys on the 8th day

God has Joshua do this because the second generation out of Egypt hadn’t been circumcised

Circumcision is cutting off the foreskin of the male penis

It was a sign between Israel and God than there was no flesh between them

Their heart was completely God’s

Well, a whole generation had gone without this and so God sets aside some time for Israel to get right

This brings up our first principle: Consecrating your heart

God is a jealous God and He doesn’t want anything to come between us and Him

While physical circumcision was a sign in the Old Testament, Spiritual circumcision is necessary today

Committing your heart to the Lord and having no other gods before Jesus is spiritual circumcision.

Romans 2:28-29 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

If we want the walls to come down there needs to a separation of the flesh from our heart and a dedication of our lives to Jesus

All the people born in the wilderness were circumcised and rested the necessary days to recover

They were now ready to move forward

II. First Passover vs. 10-12

The second act that Israel did once they crossed over was to celebrate passover

Passover is a remembrance of what God did for Israel in Egypt

The angel of death passed over the houses that had the blood on the doorpost and the first born was spared

It was the final straw that made Egypt release Israel from slavery

They hadn’t kept it much in the wilderness, but now one of the first things they do is remember what God has done

Here is the second principle: It is important to look back and rejoice for what God has done

We are always to be in remembrance of the redemption of Jesus on the cross

Something is triggered by this passover

The people enjoy the fruit of the land, the milk and the honey, and the manna stops

God’s supernatural provision in the wilderness stops because He has provided the fruit of the land

There will be times that God provides for us in ways we couldn’t imagine but mostly He will provide through our labor

III. Commander of the Lord’s Army vs. 13-15

So far we’ve seen to see the walls come crumbling down you need to consecrate your heart and remember what the Lord has done

Now, Joshua has encounter with Commander of the Lord’s army

As Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and a man was standing before him with a drawn sword

As the commander of the Israeli army, Joshua went straight towards him because his job was to protect his people

Then he asks the question “Are you for us or against us?”

The warrior answers “No, but I am the commander of the army of the Lord.”

The soldier doesn’t answer Joshua’s question because it wasn’t the right one

It wasn’t whether the commander was on Joshua’s side, but if Joshua was on the Lord’s side

We see the third principle in bringing the walls down: Be on the Lord’s side

So many times we want God to bless and get behind what we are doing and God is waiting for us to get behind what He is doing

This commander tells Joshua he has come, which indicates that victory is assured

When we are on the Lord’s side, victory is assured

Vs. 14 Joshua fell on his face and worshipped

He asks for a Word from the Lord

Some people say this Michael the archangel, but no where in scriptures do humans worship angels

This is the same person from the burning bush

Exodus 3:4-5 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Some scholars say this is God, but I am going with this being the pre-incarnate Christ

Joshua takes his Sandals off because the ground is holy

IV. Marching 6 Days vs. 1-14

The commander of the Lord’s Army came with orders on how to attack Jericho

The walls of Jericho were considered impenetrable

Jericho was not an exceptionally large city; but it was an important, formidable fortress city.

Excavations at Jericho indicate that the city covered perhaps eight acres and was protected by two high parallel walls, which stood about fifteen feet apart and surrounded the city.

It was the sight of cities like Jericho that convinced ten of the Jewish spies that Israel could never conquer the land

If Israel could defeat Jericho, they could defeat anything else that would face them in Canaan.

Again, we see the wisdom of God as opposed to human wisdom, in that Israel faces their most difficult opponent first.

The Christian soldier stands in a position of guaranteed victory because Jesus Christ has already defeated every spiritual enemy

The fourth principle we learn from this is that God’s people are to be faithful

What army commander tells his people to walk around a city for 6 days?

It takes faith to follow Jesus because He likes to attack the strongest enemies first and use unconventional tactics

All we are called to do is walk by faith

They weren’t allowed to say a word for the first six days, just circumnavigate the city once a day

If you want to see spiritual victory in your life and see the walls come down you need to learn to walk by faith.

Trusting the process and waiting for God to work is the sign of being faithful

V. With a Shout vs. 15-21

VI. Rahab’s Family Spared vs. 22-27